Scottish Rose
by Sela McGrane
Summary: Some years after the war, Minerva McGonagall runs into Hermione Weasley at a Ministry Gala. A drunken confession leads to events which have consequences that the Headmistress cannot escape, even if she did remove Hermione's memory of it just after it happened. MM/HG Normal disclaimers apply.


**This is a one shot that ran away from me. I am marking it as complete as I feel it can stand alone, however I know how you lot are...so with enough reviews, I will write a follow-up fic. **

**Also, I am aware I owe you all a Dueling update. I have been working on a project of my own and it has really been sucking the creative juice out of me. This one shot was the result of typing on my tablet (one damn letter at a time) when I have downtime at work. Been slowly typing this for three weeks. Alas, I do hope you enjoy. I have never seen this concept explored before.**

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><p>Minerva McGonagall had sighed in relief when Ronald and Hermione Weasley had decided to move to America nine years ago. They had gone, with their then two year old daughter Rose, and six month old son Hugo, so that Hermione could accept a teaching job at the American Wizarding school. Minerva was proud of her former student and the life she had built, but more than that, she was glad that Hermione was far away from her, taking away her greatest temptation.<p>

Not too long before Hermione and Ron had decided to start a family, Minerva had run into her former student at a Ministry Gala. Quite a few drinks later, she had found herself rushing to the restroom to relieve herself, and for some reason, Hermione had followed her. The younger woman had accused her of 'eyeballing' her all evening, and wanted to know why. Minerva blamed the intoxication for what came out of her mouth, but despite whatever judgment she would have normally had, she admitted to the younger witch that she had, for years, been in love with her.

Rather than rush away as Minerva might have expected, Hermione had grinned, and then proceeded to rush forward and kiss her former teacher. Good judgment still obviously missing in action, Minerva had responded and before she knew what had happened, she and Hermione had found themselves having sex in an abandoned office several floors away from where the Gala was still going on.

Sometime between the fifth and sixth time they had 'gone at it', Minerva had quite suddenly remembered who she was fucking, and how very married that someone was. She knew that things would never be the same again between herself and Hermione, and someone was sure to notice. She had reminded Hermione that there were people that would be missing them, so they'd both dressed and headed back down. Just before they got back to the ballroom, Minerva had pulled out her wand and pointed it at the woman she'd just had the best sex of her life with.

"Obliviate," she'd whispered. All Hermione would remember from their encounter was that they bumped into each other in the bathroom, and had simply talked of Transfiguration for a while before returning to the party. No confession from Minerva. No making love for the better part of two hours. No memory that would change her reality.

Unfortunately for Minerva, her reality was going to change if she liked it or not. It had simply taken twelve years for her to realize it. Standing in front of her now was Ronald and Hermione Weasley, who had just informed her that they had moved back to London a few weeks prior. Standing with them was their eleven year old daughter Rose, who would be starting at Hogwarts in another week, and their almost ten year old son Hugo.

Hugo looked like a Weasley so much there could be no doubt who his father was. Rose, on the other hand, Minerva thought with a gulp, was the spitting image of…herself.

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><p>Hermione Weasley pondered the expression on her former teacher's face as she introduced her children to their future Headmistress. She had not seen Minerva in many years…in fact she was pretty certain the last time they'd had a full conversation was the night of the Ministry Gala…the night she and Ron had conceived Rose.<p>

Suddenly, Hermione felt something like a punch in her gut as images began flooding into her mind. It was a memory of an event that Hermione did not recall happening, beginning with running into Minerva in a bathroom, and ending with being on the receiving end of an _Obliviate_ charm. What happened in between point A and point B caused Hermione to go weak in the knees. The logical part of Hermione understood why Minerva had cast the memory charm, and at first thought, the younger woman was quite okay with the idea of pretending that she still had no memory of the event. She didn't need to shake up her marriage with something like that. Minerva had confessed to loving her. Hermione had always harbored a crush on her former teacher, and in a moment of recklessness, she'd decided to take advantage of the situation that night. She and Ron had gotten into a row just before the party, so part of her was simply lashing out. Childish of her, Hermione thought in retrospect; something that she would have regretted in the morning had she remembered anything about it before now.

"Mum?" Rose asked, interrupting her thoughts. "Are we going to Diagon Alley soon?"

Hermione looked down at her daughter, and was greeted with startling green eyes. Eyes that Hermione had always assumed were a fluke of the gene pool, as she had brown eyes, and Ron had blue, and as the recently restored memories continued to float in the forefront of her mind, Hermione looked up and the woman she'd had sex with twelve years ago, and realized something life altering. Rose was not Ron's daughter. She was Minerva's.

And as Hermione's eyes met the older witch's, she could tell that Minerva had just realized the same thing.

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><p>Minerva watched as Ron Weasley ushered his kids away, and Hermione told him that she'd be along in a minute. As soon as he was out of earshot, Hermione turned to face her. "Well…" Hermione said. "Where to start?"<p>

"Here is not the place, nor the time," Minerva said quietly. "But please believe me when I say that had I realized before now…I would have come clean about blocking your memory. I thought I was protecting you…gods, you were married, Hermione. What were we thinking?"

Hermione forced a smile. "We were drunk, Minerva. And while I appreciate you trying to protect my marriage and all that, now that we know…we need to decide what to do with the information. But you're right about now not being the time…though we should make time before Rose arrives on September first at Hogwarts."

"Agreed," Minerva replied. "I'll Owl you with a time in place as soon as I get back to Hogwarts."

The older woman turned to go, but Hermione grabbed her hand. "Minerva, wait."

"Yes?" she asked quietly, quite uncomfortable with the contact.

"What you told me that evening…how you felt…" Hermione whispered. "I need to know if that has changed."

Minerva groaned internally, wishing Hermione had not asked, but knowing that lying to the woman in front of her was how she'd gotten into the situation she was in. This time Hermione would get the truth. "No," she replied, looking guilty. "My feelings have not changed, Hermione. If anything the revelation about Rose has made them grow exponentially. I'll Owl you."

She pulled out of Hermione's grasp and walked away quickly, torn between the love she felt for Hermione and how she did not want to cause her world to be turned upside down as a long ago affair came to light, and a great desire to reach out to the one thing she'd long ago accepted she would never have…a child of her own.

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><p>Hermione walked into the Three Broomsticks, and nodded when she saw Minerva had already arrived. The last three days Hermione had hardly slept. She was trying to remember every detail of what had transpired between herself and her former teacher that had resulted in the conception of Rose. What had she been thinking? What had she been feeling? More importantly…what did she feel now? She had two children with two different people. Rose deserved to know who her 'father' truly was. Ron deserved her honestly. Minerva should have the right to get to know her own child…her only child. On the other hand, if everyone else got what they deserved, she was likely to lose just about everything. Could she be that selfish, or would she continue to keep a secret that until recently, she didn't know she'd had?<p>

"Minerva," she said, taking a seat across from the elder witch.

"Tell me about Rose?" Minerva asked. "Before anything else, I'd like to know a bit about…my daughter."

Hermione smiled gently. "Now that I know she's yours, it certainly explains her looks. She's a carbon copy of you, physically. She's smart and exceptionally caring, though she does have a wicked temper. I'd always assumed she got that from Ron, but I guess I should be blaming that one on you."

Minerva chuckled. "When I was young, my mother said that my impulsive nature combined with my Scottish temper was a nasty combination that would lead me to Azkaban if I didn't get at least one of them under control. I have managed to get my impulsiveness pretty reigned in over the years…"

"Except that night…" Hermione commented with a huff.

"I clearly recall you starting it, my dear," the elder witch said.

"Be that as it may, we now have consequences to deal with, together," Hermione sighed. "I cannot make this big a decision alone. What are your thoughts?"

Minerva was silent for a moment, and then, after letting out a long breath, she replied. "I want a relationship with Rose, but if you want to keep my relationship to her a secret, I am willing to keep my mouth shut."

Hermione shook her head. "I'm afraid that's not one of the options. If you have a relationship with her, she will eventually figure it out. It may take her a few years, but she is your daughter as much as she is mine, and she got both of our brains. Your options are to be one hundred percent Headmistress toward her, or one hundred percent parent. I will not risk her finding out on her own. Right now, if we choose to tell Ron and Rose the truth, we can at least say that I did not remember the affair happening, and you had no idea Rose was yours. That buys us a little grace that we would not have if it all comes out later on."

"What do you want, Hermione?" Minerva asked after a moment to consider. "You have a family to consider, and I have only myself. You outrank me here. I will respect whatever you decide."

Hermione put her head on the table. "The decision was made the moment you told me you want a relationship with her," she mumbled. "as I seem utterly unable to say no to you."

"Don't put that on me," Minerva whispered. "The choice is yours. If you really are basing your decision on what will make me happy, not that you should, then consider that I will be happiest with whatever makes you happy. If my not being a part of Rose's life, at all, is what it takes to make you happy, I shall stay away from her."

"No," Hermione replied. "I have had three days of _what if's_ to go over. In that time, I came to some pretty unsettling realizations that drastically alter the situation."

"How so?" the Headmistress asked, looking over her glasses with a worried expression.

"Minerva, I had sex with you that night because I did not care about the consequences of cheating on Ron. I had been strongly considering leaving him before that night," Hermione said quietly. "I stayed with him because I found out I was pregnant and had no idea the child wasn't his."

"Shit," Minerva hissed, understanding in an instant how different things would have been if she'd left Hermione's memory intact.

"Yeah."

"Is that still the case, Hermione?" Minerva demanded. "Are you still with Ronald because of your children?"

A tear drifted down the younger woman's cheek. She couldn't deny it. Not to _her_, of all people. "Yes," Hermione admitted.

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><p>Minerva paced her office, anxiously awaiting some word from Hermione, who had left to go speak with Ron, and tell him the truth of what happened twelve years ago.<p>

"What's wrong, Tabby?" the portrait of Albus inquired kindly. "You're pacing the room like an expectant parent."

Minerva stopped in her tracks, and then laughed. "I guess you could say that I am, Albus," she confided in her old friend. "Three days ago I found out I have a daughter. I am pacing because I am awaiting word regarding to what extent I will be allowed in her life."

"A daughter?" Albus said, raising his eyebrows. "How did you have a daughter and not know about it?"

Minerva looked at him awkwardly. "I was…er…the father during the conception process, if you know what I mean." Albus may have been a Transfiguration Master just as she was, but she highly doubted he had ever researched _that_ particular spell.

"And the woman you were with did not see fit to inform you when she discovered she was pregnant?" Albus wanted to know, seemingly unfazed. "Who on earth would you have been with who could be that cold hearted, to keep you from you child?"

Minerva blushed. She knew she was about to get reprimanded by her friend. "Well, as I Obliviated her after we…you know…"

"And you did that because?" Albus asked, looking at her intently.

"She was married…"

Albus sighed. "So in an effort to protect what I will assume was simply a friendship prior to that night, you took away her memory of it, and when she then found out she was pregnant, she had no reason to think the child was anyone but her husband's."

"That's essentially it, yes," Minerva admitted. "Further, she then moved away for a number of years and when I ran into her and her family in Diagon Alley three days ago, her memory of the evening in question resurfaced at about the same time I realized that Rose was my daughter. She looks just like I did, at eleven."

"YOU FUCKED GRANGER?!" Severus Snape's voice suddenly rang out.

Minerva looked at Albus, who was obviously trying not to laugh.

"Oh, shut up," Minerva snapped.

"Exactly how drunk were you that evening," Albus asked, mirth in his eyes, "to bed someone who had recently been your student?"

"Quite," the Headmistress admitted with a sigh.

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><p>Hermione had arranged for Rose and Hugo to spend the evening at the Potter's house so she and Ron could talk. She had already told him this was not a date night, but that they needed to have a very serious discussion. She hoped that the warning would allow Ron to prepare himself.<p>

"Alright Hermione," he said as soon as the floo fizzled out. "Let's get this over with. I think I know what you want to talk about but in case I'm wrong I'll let you say what's on your mind."

Hermione took a deep breath. "Nearly twelve years ago I had a one night stand. I have recently discovered that it resulted in the conception of Rose."

Ron sighed. "Yeah I thought that's what it was about."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "You knew?" she exclaimed.

The red haired man nodded. "I saw you and McGonagall having sex that night. You were gone for ages, so went looking for you. By the time I'd worked up the nerve to confront you about it, we had already found out you were pregnant. I knew it was a flip of a galleon who had done the knocking up, so I decided to wait till the baby was born to do anything. I can be an arse, I know, but I'm not such a prat as to leave you in...that condition. When Rose was born, it was obvious where she'd gotten her eye color, but things had gotten better between us and you had not spoken to McGonagall since the Gala, so I decided that I didn't really care about a drunken one night stand as much as I cared about keeping my family together."

Hermione stared, shocked that Ron had kept that to himself all these years. She respected that he had been trying to keep his family together, but had he confronted her...everything would have been different.

"The only thing I don't know is why we are talking about this now," Ron said.

"After Minerva and I had sex, she erased my memory of the encounter," Hermione whispered. "Three days ago when we bumped into her, my memory returned. That same moment Minerva realized Rose was hers. I have not been avoiding her, or this conversation, Ronald. I simply had no memory of Rose's true conception."

"Oh," Ron said blankly. "That...that changed everything, didn't it? You were thinking of leaving me, weren't you? That's why you slept with her."

Hermione said nothing as she lowered her eyes.

"Do you love her, Hermione?" her husband asked quietly. "Do you love me? Honestly?"

The calmness in Ron's tone soothed Hermione. In the last decade, Ron really had grown into a gentle man, much like his father was. Gone was the boy who always let pride rule his actions. Before her stood a wonderful husband and father who had never treated Rose like the love child he knew she was. He loved her and Hugo equally, and loved his wife despite her infidelity. But did she love him like a wife aught to?

"Right now I am too overwhelmed to really answer that," she said. "I know that isn't the answer you wanted, but it's the best I can give at the present. Right now we need to focus on how this effects Rose. She starts Hogwarts in less than a week. Minerva wants a relationship with her daughter."

Ron nodded. "Harry and Gin can keep Hugo tonight. I'll go pick up Rose and we'll talk to her. I'm sure McGonagall is anxiously waiting for some word from you. You should send her an Owl while I'm gone. In fact, how about you ask her to join us? She should be a part of this conversation."

Hermione nodded, and saying nothing she walked to her desk, picked up a quill, and began to write on a piece of parchment.

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><p>Minerva knocked on the door of the home of Ronald and Hermione Weasley. She had never been so nervous in her life. After tonight, everything would change. After Rose knew…Minerva had no damn idea how to go about being a parent. Being a teacher was one thing, but being a parent was more. More was expected by a child of their parent than was of their teacher. Different standards were held for your own child than were held for your students. Getting things wrong on either side could not be solved by dropping a class. Seven years as a role model and authority figure was nothing compared to the lifetime commitment of a parent. Regardless of how difficult she knew things were going to very shortly become, Minerva was resolved to give Rose all the effort she had inside of her. Rose <em>and<em> Hermione.

Ronald answered the door. "McGonagall," he said curtly, jerking his head as a sign she should come in.

"Mr. Weasley," she replied quietly, stepping inside. She knew that this whole thing must be very difficult for him. She was a threat, and both of them knew it, even if Hermione was not prepared to admit it to herself yet.

Speaking of…

Hermione rounded the corner and came into view, smiling slightly at her former Professor. "Minerva, thank you for coming on such short notice."

"Not a problem," Minerva replied firmly. She wanted Hermione, and Ronald for that matter, to know she was taking this situation seriously; that she was prepared to take responsibility for her actions twelve years prior. "Have you told her yet?"

"We picked her up and Harry and Ginny's and told her she needed to come home for a meeting with us and _the Headmistress_." Hermione replied. "That's it."

"Is Professor McGonagall here yet?" an anxious little girl's voice sounded from further in the flat.

"Come on," Ron muttered. "Let's go in the living room."

Minerva followed Hermione and Ronald into the living room, where she saw Rose, her daughter, sitting on the sofa with a book. The elder witch peered closer at the book, curious as to what the eleven year old might choose to read. _Standard Book of Spells, of course,_ Minerva smirked.

Rose shifted, and the grade level of the standard Hogwarts text book came into view. "Grade four?" Minerva balked.

Hermione sighed. "Rose, darling, what have I told you about reading my old school books?"

"That they were over my head and it would probably end up making my brain explode?" Rose replied cheekily, eying the Professor she'd briefly met a few days prior.

"I believe my exact words were _don't do it_," Hermione chastised her daughter.

Rose let out an annoyed sigh. "Yes, mum."

Ron sat on the couch next to Rose, and Hermione and Minerva sat in arm chairs opposite the child and man. "Rose, baby, we need to talk to you about something," Ron said, putting his hand on the girl's shoulder.

Minerva heard Rose mutter something like _'that sounds ominous'_, before Ron continued. "You see, I am not your biological father, honey. I loved you as my own, and always will, but it's time for you to get to know the other person who helped your mum make you. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

Rose's eyes were wide. "Yes," she whispered after a moment. She looked over to Hermione, and then over at Minerva, then back at Hermione. "Mum, is it true?"

"Yes, darling, and there's a bit more to it," Hermione replied. "You see, while it usually involves a witch and a wizard to make a baby, sometimes two wizards, or in the case of your birth, two witches can have a baby."

Rose looked on the verge of panic now. Minerva kept her mouth shut for now. It was obvious that the girl was very smart, and she was only moments away from putting together the pieces of the puzzle and realizing what the Headmistress of Hogwarts was doing in her living room.

"So I have…two mums?" Rose squeaked.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, you do."

Rose stared at her mum for a minute, and then slowly turned her head to look at the third adult. Minerva and Rose made eye contact, and it was all of ten seconds after two sets of identical emerald eyes met that Rose figured it out. "Bloody…hell…" the eleven year old swore. "It's you."

Decided that her first words to her daughter should not be a rebuke for her language, Minerva simply confirmed Rose's conclusion. "Yes, Rose," she said quietly. "You are my daughter."

Silence followed, all three adults waiting for Rose's reaction. Her green eyes had clamped shut, and she bit her bottom lip. Eventually, the brown haired child let out a sigh and opened her eyes again. "Is Hugo…?" Rose asked, looking over at Ron.

"Hugo is my flesh and blood, yes," Ron replied.

"So me being born, and you not being my biological dad…" Rose trailed off, afraid to ask the question she wanted to know.

Hermione took a breath and answered. "Your conception was not of your dad's consent, no."

"So you cheated on him," Rose stated, looking rather irked.

Hermione looked her daughter in the eye. "Yes Rose, I did. I made a choice, and the consequence of that choice is before me now. I cannot say I regret that choice, because that night, Minerva and I made you, and I could never regret having you. What I do regret is how I hurt your dad by my actions."

Rose nodded, and then looked over to Minerva. Quite suddenly, the older witch felt fear like she had never felt it before. Either Rose would accept her, or reject her. Minerva wasn't sure if she could bear the later.

"Do you have a husband? Or other kids?" Rose inquired carefully. She seemed uncertain if it was okay to ask something so personal of the Headmistress of Hogwarts or not.

Minerva shook her head. "No. I never married, never had children. By the time you were born, I had reached an age where I knew it was no longer possible for me to have children of my own…to become pregnant, I mean. I was very sad that I would never have a child…and then a few days ago I found out about you."

Rose's eyes widened. "Wait, so mum never told you she was pregnant with your baby? Mum?"

Hermione coughed. "I didn't actually know I was pregnant with her baby, Rose. I thought that your dad was just that, your dad."

Minerva proceeded to explain the basics of what had happened between the night Rose was conceived and their meeting at The Three Broomsticks that very morning; sans the sordid details, of course. Rose seemed to bounce between intrigued by the tale and feeling very awkward that this whole conversation was about who had sex with who and when.

Rose took in the information, asking questions here and there. Ron, Hermione, and Minerva all answered in turn, until the eleven year old seemed to fully understand what was going on and what it meant for her.

The conversation dwindled into silence, and then Rose asked another question, which she addressed to Minerva. "So what am I to call you?" the girl asked. "I mean, obviously I'll call you _Professor McGonagall_ at school, but other times, what then?"

"Whatever you like," Minerva said. She was simply glad that she was not being rejected outright. Rose seemed willing to at least give her a chance.

"Is…_Mother_ alright?" Rose inquired shyly. "I can't call you both _Mum_, after all. That would be too confusing.

"That would be perfect, sweetheart," Minerva choked out. She tried, and then dismally failed at keeping the tears at bay. She was a _mother._ Blimey.

"Now Rose," Hermione continued, wiping tears off her own cheek, "I have some questions for you about all of this. You start at Hogwarts in a few days, and of course you understand that... your mother...will be your Headmistress. Do you want your classmates to be aware of the truth regarding your parentage?"

The girl looked thoughtful. "I think I'd rather have some time to adjust and get to know mother before everyone else knows."

"Okay," Hermione nodded in agreement. "What about the family?"

A look of doubt and uncertainty formed on Rose's face. "What does that even mean now? Are there other McGonagalls? Am I really, if not a Weasley, a McGonagall or a Granger? Are James, Al, Lily and the rest still my cousins?"

Ron stepped in and spoke for the Weasleys. "When I chose to raise you as my own, I adopted you. This changes none of that. You may change your surname now, or down the road, but you will always be my little girl and the Weasley clan will always consider you one of their own."

"As far as the McGonagalls go," Minerva spoke up, "I have a brother who would love to meet you, and through him you have a cousin, Clara, whose son, Eugene MacDonald will also be starting Hogwarts this term."

"As far as your surname goes," Hermione said, "That decision is yours to make. You are registered at Hogwarts as a Weasley, and if and when that changes is up to you. I do prefer that if you choose to change it, that you do so to reflect your relation to the McGonagalls rather than your lack of relation to the Weasleys."

"Meaning that if I change it it should be to Rosalyn McGonagall," Rose stated, understanding what her mum meant. "I'm not sure I want to tell the Weasleys yet, but it would be nice to meet Mother's family."

Minerva resisted the urge to break down in tears again. Again, she failed.

"If it suits Minerva then you can go with her to do so prior to start of term," Ron said.

Minerva understood his offer for what it was; his blessing to be an active part of Rose's life. Bugger. More tears. "I shall Owl your Uncle Malcolm as soon as I return to Hogwarts and set up a time."

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><p>Hermione smiled at her daughter as the green eyed child gulped nervously upon their arrival at a small tea house in muggle London. Today they were meeting with Rose's new found uncle, cousin, and second cousin through Minerva. The Headmistress was bringing the three with her to the tea house to meet the soon to be first year Hogwarts student. In the older woman's Owl she had said she would be telling Malcolm, Clara, and Eugene about her before they arrived so there would be no ill manners relating to the surprise. Minerva had never even told her family of her sexual preferences so news of her having <em>fathered <em>a child nearly twelve years prior was bound to be a shock.

"Are you ready sweety?" Hermione asked Rose, seeing Minerva and who she presumed were the other McGonagalls through the front window.

"I guess," the eleven year old replied meekly. "Mum, what if they don't like me?"

"I am certain they I'll love you, Rosalyn Marie." Hermione replied with all the confidence she could muster. She was nervous as well, though she would never say it. She'd made a child with Minerva and never even knew she had a family. That thought made her wonder what else she had never learned about the formidable woman that had always held her heart.

At that moment, Minerva noticed them through the window, and pointed them out to the other three, all who turned and smiled brightly at the little girl.

"See?" Hermione said. "Love at first sight, darling."

"Like you and Mother?" Rose asked.

"Well..." Hermione cleared her throat, forcing her reaction to her daughter's comment away. That had hit rather close to home. "Let's go inside," she muttered, nudging Rose forward and ignoring the question.

She didn't know what the future held for herself and Minerva, but Hermione was at least certain of Rose's place in the older witch's life. She watched as the green eyed child greeted her uncle and cousins. Malcolm, Clara, and Eugene all looked pleased that she was there. Whether or not Hermione would ever be welcomed that way was yet to be determined, but for now, this was enough.

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